Surface finishing and repair of glossy surfaces such as automotive paints and clearcoats, lacquer finishes, glossy plastics, and the like is commonly practiced by a two-step method. First, the surface area to be finished or repaired is abraded with an abrasive article; then in a second step, the abraded surface is polished by buffing it in the presence of a polishing compound.
Structured abrasive articles, that is, those abrasive articles that have a plurality of shaped abrasive composites bonded to a backing, are widely used in the first abrading step. During abrading processes using structured abrasive articles, a liquid such as water or a cutting fluid is often added to the abrading interface to extend the useful life of the structured abrasive article. In the case of water, a surfactant is often used in addition.